SEALed With A Christmas Kiss
by jago-ji
Summary: It's just a few days before Christmas and Ranger thinks Stephanie needs more training, but Steph doesn't and decides to pull one over on her mentor and currently, her boss. Along the way, she stumbles upon Ranger's secret, and it's one she isn't sure she wants to know.


**SEALed with a Christmas Kiss**

_AN: I want him, but he belongs to JE. At least I can put him on my Christmas wish list, which would be a gift, so no money being made here. And I want to thank sonomom for reviewing this story and offering a much needed critique to help the flow and keep our man in black in character._

"I'm just saying, you have got be more aware of your surroundings, Babe." The stern look on his face was aimed at her.

Stephanie stared in disbelief at Ranger. He never chastised her. It was always, "Proud of you, Babe," or "You never disappoint, Babe."

He was obviously disappointed in her now.

She looked down at her torn and stained clothes. She'd messed up yet again. In her eagerness to capture Mel Lubowsky, every Burg grade schooler's drug dealer of choice, she hadn't seen the midget pushing a pickle cart out from between two parked cars.

She'd been tearing down Clinton Avenue after Mel and she crashed right into it, toppling both the cart and the now very irate little person, who was covered in pickle juice just like she was. The only difference was she had also caught her brand new DKNY jeans on the edge of the cart and nearly ripped the rear out of them, exposing her poor choice of the day granny panties for the world to see. And laugh at.

And of course, Ranger had witnessed it all.

Trudging through the melting snow back to her POS car, a 1999 blue Taurus this week, she turned and watched as Ranger withdrew his wallet and handed the pickle juice-dripping little person some bills and apologized for the unfortunate accident.

_That's all I am to Ranger, an unfortunate accident_, she bemoaned. She opened the car door, but before she could get in, two strong arms swathed in black cashmere turned her around and pinned her up against the side of her car.

"You okay?" Ranger asked, leaning in, his lips tantalizingly close to hers. He pulled back suddenly, his nose wrinkling. "You should try overturning a hot dog cart to go with that dill pickle smell you got going for you. Or better yet, why don't you call it a day, Babe. Take a shower, maybe two. And tomorrow, I have a new assignment for you."

"What about Mel Lubowsky? I thought he was my assignment," she protested. Mel was her first skip as RangeMan's newest Bond Enforcement Agent. Yep, she was working fulltime for RangeMan now.

"Forget Mel. He saw you coming a mile away. There's no way you were going to surprise him." Still hovering over her, Ranger lifted his hand and stroked her cheek. Stephanie closed her eyes, concentrating on the touch of his fingers. He hadn't been around much lately and she'd missed his flirting with her.

He continued, "Tomorrow, I want you to tail Cal."

Steph's eyes shot open. "Cal?"she cried._Steroidasaurus__ Cal? Huge, bald, tattooed Cal? _

Ranger continued, "He's going to be surveilling Mel to see if he leads us to his supplier. And if Cal, with his flaming skull tattooed on his forehead and his huge size, can blend in with his surroundings so can you. Watch what he does and, more importantly, watch what he doesn't do," Ranger advised.

She glared at Ranger, but he didn't budge. Then, out of the blue, he said, "I'm going to need my SEAL cap back."

She went from glaring to confused. Ranger clarified, "My black Navy SEAL cap. The one I lent you a while back."

"Ahh, that SEAL cap," she said, but thinking _Omigod_, _what did I do with it_? "Okay, I'll bring it into the office."

And with that, Ranger was gone.

Steph heaved a deep sigh and plunked her bare, vinegary ass down on the driver's seat. She sighed again. _Did she really stink so bad at being a bounty hunter?_ Well, right now, she stunk to high heaven from pickle juice, but she _had_ improved over the years, _hadn't she_?

She didn't do things the conventional way, but Ranger knew that. She nearly always got her man… eventually. And Ranger knew that, too. So why was he so upset with her today and making her practice tailing by following Cal?

Could it be… he was getting tired of her? Tired of her always stumbling into a mess, falling down and, in general, making a nuisance of herself. He always had to rescue her from some stupid blunder she'd gotten herself into. And it had to be costing him a fortune to clean up after her.

She sighed yet again. This had to stop! She _had_ to get better at her job. She just had to. But she really didn't want to follow Mr. Blank Expression, Blank Eyes Cal around all day tomorrow.

Then an idea popped into her head. Tomorrow, she wouldn't follow Cal, she'd follow Ranger. He wouldn't be expecting her and she could slip in behind him and tail him all day. _And then who'd need to be more aware of his surroundings?_ She giggled to herself, enjoying the picture of her springing her little secret on him later. He'd be proud of her again. No more disappointed looks from Batman.

She drove home, planning out her strategy. She was sure she could pull this off.

Just as the sun was rising, Steph pulled her sister's white minivan to the curb on Haywood Street. It was a used car, but new to the Kloughns and Steph needed a car Ranger wouldn't recognize. She had a good view of the gate to the RangeMan underground garage, but the sightline from the garage to her car was blocked from view by a panel van.

She checked her disguise in the rearview mirror. Her Philadelphia Flyers cap was pulled down low on her forehead. _No self-respecting Rangers fan would be caught dead in a Flyers cap_, she thought smugly. She'd spent an hour straightening the curls from her hair, so her ponytail was sleek and smooth. She was wearing a pair of aviator sunglasses and instead of the lip gloss she usually wore, her lips were covered in a bright mauve, something she'd never choose to wear. She'd even given herself a beauty mark, a la Cindy Crawford.

As for the rest of her outfit, she went soccer mom all the way. Borrowing clothes from Valerie had been a stroke of genius. Her sister's high-waisted jeans felt odd, especially with her purple "Go Jersey Devils" t-shirt tucked neatly into them. Val had suggested a gray cardigan to wear over it all and had thrown in a pair of purple-trimmed white sneakers to finish the look. It wasn't quite as bad as borrowing Grandma Mazur's baggy pink and white sweat suit ensemble, but almost.

Steph sat in her car for several hours before Ranger finally made an appearance. She had the heat on high and she was still shivering. It was three weeks into December and it was bitterly cold in Trenton. Snow was still piled up on the sidewalks, and not melting. She made a note to remember to walk carefully and not slip on her butt on the icy streets. She'd even practiced a different walk, a harried "hurry up and get in the car" walk that she'd seen Valerie do a hundred times with the girls.

But now, it was "go time." Ranger was driving his Porsche Cayenne and he was already a block away. Steph pulled the minivan into traffic and followed at a discreet distance. He drove toward the center of town, finally pulling into a large strip mall.

He parked in front of a Toys R Us store and disappeared inside. _Christmas shopping for nieces and nephews_, Steph thought. _How sweet. _And how organized he was, shopping several days before Christmas, unlike her usual shopping frenzy on Christmas Eve. Forty-five minutes later, he came out with his arms filled with brightly wrapped packages. After stowing the gifts away in the back of his vehicle, Ranger strode across the parking lot to an upscale department store. This time, Stephanie got out and followed him, practicing her new walk. He never even looked back.

He went immediately to the perfume counter and engaged the sales clerk there. The woman listened and nodded and stepped over to the Chanel display case. Chanel N°5 was Stephanie's favorite perfume, but she could only afford to buy the eau de toilette.

The woman dipped her hand into the glass-fronted display and Steph gave an involuntary gasp when she saw the distinctive golden bottle the woman was holding. It was the large size Chanel N°5 Parfum Grand Extrait retailing at $4200. He said something else to the clerk and she smiled and added a second, much smaller bottle to the first. It was also a much lighter color than the first bottle. Steph got as close as she dared, pretending to be interested in the lipsticks at the makeup counter. She looked over and saw that the bottle was the new Chanel N°5 eau premiere perfume, a new lighter version of the classic. The one Brad Pitt had promoted on that freakishly odd television ad.

Was Ranger buying either one of these for her? Was this her Christmas present? Stephanie knew she would be thrilled with either one, but she looked longingly at the large bottle filled with sweet-scented liquid gold.

Then he and the clerk moved over to another display case that showcased other less expensive brands of perfume and lotions. Several more bottles, soaps and tubes were added to his growing order. _He must also be shopping for the women in his family,_ Steph thought. The clerk carefully packaged them all and Ranger left the store with his purchases.

Stephanie felt a small measure of success. He never suspected she was tailing him and she'd gotten within several yards of him.

As he passed the Salvation Army guy who was patiently ringing his bell, Ranger dropped a large wad of bills into the big red kettle. The startled man bowed and thanked him for his most generous donation. Ranger's head dipped once and then he quickly strode across the parking lot. After putting his one bag in with his other purchases, he got in his vehicle and drove across the lot, entering the stream of traffic again.

Steph followed, hoping he didn't get on the freeway, because Val's minivan would never be able to keep up with Ranger's Porsche. Luckily, he went past the turnoff for Highway 1 and continued on to the river.

Steph stayed several car lengths behind as Ranger turned into a residential area of row houses. Homes in this part of Trenton were mid-range, not the low-class tenements and not the Ritz. He parked along a side street and got out. She liked the long black coat he was wearing and watched intently as he removed his gloves and stashed them in a pocket. He looked great, as always.

Steph pulled into an empty space across the street and left her car idling, the heat on high. She noticed most of the homes had Christmas lights up and some had a few decorations hanging from their porches. It was a nice neighborhood.

Walking swiftly down the sidewalk, Ranger paused at one of the row houses mid-street and took the icy steps two at a time, not slipping even a little. He stood on the stoop and knocked on the door that was wrapped in red foil and tied with a pretty gold ribbon topped with a bow. _How very Christmassy_!

The brightly decorated door was opened by a young woman, maybe thirty years old. She was petite, with a delicate pixie face framed by a short bob of curly blonde hair. Her skin was pale, almost porcelain. She was very pretty. Steph straightened up in her seat, her eyes focused on Ranger and this woman.

As soon as the woman saw Ranger she smiled, her perfectly straight teeth gleaming as white as the snow piled up on the porch steps. Steph rubbed her own front teeth with her finger, hoping the lettuce from the hoagie she'd eaten earlier wasn't stuck between them. And then she gasped, almost choking on her own finger.

The woman had thrown herself into Ranger's arms… and he caught her. He not only caught her, he hugged her. He hugged her for a long time. Too long for a family member, too long even for a long-lost friend. This was a deep, "hold you close to my heart" hug. And then the woman pulled him into the house.

Steph sat there, her mouth hanging open. She continued to stare at the closed door, wondering who the hell that woman was. She was shaking, not sure if it was from the cold weather or from shock.

She knew she had no claim on Ranger. He could see whomever he wanted to, just as she could. The fact that she wasn't seeing anyone else, even Morelli, and hadn't for the past several months wasn't the issue. She also hadn't been "seeing" Ranger, at least not in that sense. They saw each other nearly every day, now that she was an employee of RangeMan. But they didn't really date and they weren't sleeping together, though not for lack of trying on Ranger's part.

Steph had been holding back because she didn't want to just jump from Joe's bed into Ranger's. And Ranger had always made it clear that while he'd welcome her in his bed, she was not welcome at his side, as in side by side, as a committed couple.

But now this! How serious was this new woman in Ranger's life?

Steph couldn't help thinking that she'd vacillated too long between Joe and Ranger, and Ranger had gotten tired of her flip-flopping. And now some blonde floozy had snatched him up. And he looked like he'd been happy to be snatched.

Steph put the minivan in gear and drove home. The day had not gone the way she'd hoped.

That night, Stephanie did some serious soul-searching. She always had a problem making up her mind. And nowhere had that fact been more evident than in her indecision to choose between Joe and Ranger. She gave herself some slack, though, because neither man had ever been clear in their intentions toward her. Joe hinted at marriage, but he never got down on one knee and proposed. And Steph now knew she had never wanted him to. Ranger had made it clear he didn't do relationships, but he showed her constantly how much he cared for her, beyond just wanting her in his bed. No wonder she was so confused.

But now, she was no longer seeing Joe and was hoping for something more from Ranger. And just like that, Ranger had moved on. Maybe he did do relationships, just not with her.

Steph couldn't let it go. She had to find out more about this new woman in Ranger's life.

The next day, Steph parked the minivan in the same spot, her eyes glued on the row house with the red door. So intent on watching the house, Steph didn't notice a black Porsche Cayenne drive up and park just down the street in front of her. She also didn't notice a young woman on the street behind her, a young child obediently holding her hand as they crossed at the intersection.

Finally, she saw Ranger as he approached the row house with the bright red foil-wrapped door. When his face broke out into his stunning full-on smile, Steph ducked down. At first she thought she'd been discovered, but then a young woman dashed by her car on the passenger side and Steph realized it was the same woman who Ranger had hugged yesterday. He was smiling at the blonde floozy. To be honest, the woman looked like a very nice person; she just didn't look like the type Ranger would go for.

Today, the woman had a little boy with her, maybe six years old. The boy was adorable with dark hair and dark skin and a winning smile. They were both bundled up in coats, hats and mittens against the freezing winter day.

The little boy caught sight of Ranger and to Stephanie's shock, he yelled "Daddy" and started running down the sidewalk toward him. Ranger immediately squatted down and held out his arms. The little boy eagerly ran into Ranger's outstretched arms and was scooped up by the big man into a bear hug. The woman caught up with the little boy and hugged both he and Ranger together. It was the perfect scene of familial love. All three of them went into the house.

Stephanie felt the tears roll down her cheeks, especially when she saw how perfectly the little boy's dark skin matched Ranger's mocha latte tone. _How could this be?_ she thought. Ranger had never said anything about a son. After all they'd been through with Julie and Edward Scrog and the kidnapping, he'd never mentioned having another child.

In total shock, Steph laid her head on the steering wheel and let the tears flow freely. That was it. She'd never be able to compete with a woman who had born Ranger a son. A son he obviously loved very much.

The next day, she reported in to RangeMan and settled into her cubicle. There was a stack of search requests in her in-box, so she began a long tedious day of doing computer searches for the other employees at RangeMan. Oh boy, oh joy!

To her surprise, all work ceased at 2 pm. The guys began decorating the break room with green garlands and bright red ribbon. Then the caterers showed up with a ham dinner and all the trimmings. Someone turned on the radio and Christmas songs filled the air. Coolers full of beer showed up out of nowhere and the party began.

Stephanie was not in the celebrating mood and kept mostly to herself. The guys seemed to pick up on her quiet mood and let her be.

After everyone had their fill of food and had knocked back several beers, Ranger stood up and tapped his beer bottle with a fork. Everyone quieted down. Ranger gave a rousing but short speech about the year's successes and then he handed out envelopes to every employee. It was their Christmas bonuses. The guys expected them, but this was Steph's first year with RangeMan and she was overwhelmed by Ranger's generosity. Getting a steady weekly salary was like Christmas every day to her, but to get a bonus on top of that was like adding her birthday and Halloween, too.

Just before she packed up her things to leave, Ranger stopped by her cubicle.

"Did you remember to bring in my SEAL cap," he asked.

Steph nodded and swiveled her chair around and stuck her hand into her handbag. Standing up, she handed Ranger the black ball cap.

"Thank you," he said, taking the cap. "Did Tank tell you that all employees have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off?"

Steph nodded and said, "Merry Christmas, Ranger. And thank you for the Christmas bonus. That was unexpected and very appreciated. I hope you're taking some time off, too, during the holidays, maybe to be with family?"

"I am. It promises to be a very special Christmas this year," he said, turning the cap over and over in his hands.

_A very special Christmas with your son and his mother,_ thought Steph. _I do wish you happiness, Ranger, but can't you see I'm dying inside?_

He leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her head at the last minute. Ranger leaned back, a puzzled look on his face. At that moment, Tank yelled down the hall that Ranger had a call. He pulled her to him and kissed her forehead, whispering, "Merry Christmas, Babe," and then turned and walked into his office, closing the door.

Steph stood there a while, fighting back tears. She had considered asking him, point blank, who the blonde woman was, but she couldn't bring herself to ask. She was too afraid of the answer. If it was as she suspected, then she might as well pack it in and look for another job. She didn't think she could work at RangeMan knowing Ranger was with another woman, a woman he loved and had a son with. But before that happened, she had to make sure. She had to know.

Tomorrow was Christmas Eve and she had the day off. Steph decided to follow Ranger one more time and see if she could get some answers.

Borrowing her sister's minivan again, Steph arrived at the RangeMan building at 6:00 am. She waited an hour and a half before Ranger exited the garage, again in his Porsche Cayenne. It wasn't long before she knew exactly where he was going.

He pulled up right in front of the row house this time and, with several Christmassy looking packages in his arms, he bounded up the steps to knock eagerly on the red front door. The blonde woman, dressed in a red sweater and black slacks answered, throwing open the door to the cold and to Ranger. As he stepped inside, Steph saw the woman's arms wrap around Ranger's neck.

Steph waited two hours in the freezing cold before the front door opened again. Ranger stepped out, followed by the little boy and the woman, both bundled up against the cold temperatures. The woman was carrying a small, decorated Christmas tree in her gloved hands. Ranger helped buckle the boy into the back seat and took the little tree from her, settling it on the car floor across from the boy. He then held the passenger door open for the woman. When they drove off, Steph was careful not to let Ranger see her slip in behind him, keeping several cars between them.

They got onto Highway 1 and Steph started to get worried that the Porsche would leave her poor little minivan in the dust, but Ranger kept to the speed limit. After several miles, they merged onto I-95 where they stayed for over two hours. Wherever they were going, they were headed south. They passed Philadelphia, Wilmington and then Baltimore.

Finally, Ranger left the highway and stopped at a McDonalds. The three of them went in and Steph could see them through the window. The little boy seemed thrilled with his Happy Meal. To Stephanie's surprise, Ranger was eating something, too, but Steph couldn't see what it was. If he were with her, he would never consider eating at McDonalds or at any fast food place. She shook herself. _Being jealous of a little boy was ridiculous,_ she told herself. She was starving herself, so she got into the drive-thru lane and ordered a Big Mac, fries, a pie and a Coke and sat across the street eating and watching.

A half an hour later, Ranger held the door open for the woman and child and then led them over to one of the outdoor picnic tables in Ronald McDonald Land. As cold as it was, no one was eating or playing outside. Ranger squatted down in front of the boy and he talked to him for a long while. The boy listened intently and nodded several times. Then Ranger took something out from an inside pocket of his coat and fiddled with it a little before handing it to the boy.

Stephanie thought it looked like a baseball cap. A black baseball cap.

And then Ranger took the cap from the boy's hands and settled it down on the boy's head, giving a light tap on the brim as he did so. He stood up and the boy offered him his hand and they walked over to the car together. The young woman had hung behind, taking a tissue from her pocket and blowing her nose. Then she joined them at the car.

Steph pondered what she'd just seen. She was sure the cap was Ranger's Navy SEAL cap. Why would he give it the boy? And why now?

Stephanie had an inkling of the answers when, just a few miles down the road, Ranger's Cayenne turned into Arlington National Cemetery.

As she tailed Ranger through the winding road, she gazed in wonder at the snowy scene before her. The grass was covered completely in a light dusting of snow that blended in with the hundreds and hundreds of white headstones. Most of the graves had beautiful Christmas wreaths decorating them, the dark green boughs and the red ribbons standing out starkly against the pure white background. The cemetery looked peaceful and joyous at the same time.

Ranger pulled the Cayenne into one of the smaller parking lots. He got out and helped the boy from the backseat and then grabbed the little tree. The boy was still wearing the black cap. Ranger, the woman and the boy slowly walked down the road and then crossed into the cemetery proper.

Steph drove past the parking lot and stopped at the side of the road. She got her binoculars out and turned them on the trio. She was beginning to feel like a voyeur, witnessing a special moment she had no part in. She felt guilty for all her petty thoughts and jealousies. But something was tugging at her heartstrings and she just had to continue what she started.

As the three of them walked in between the neat rows of graves, the little boy held tightly onto Ranger's hand and the woman slipped her arm through Ranger's. They all stopped in front of one particular grave and stood there for a moment looking down at the headstone. Then Ranger handed over the little tree to the woman, who carefully adjusted some of the colorful ornaments. He squatted down in front of the young boy and talked to him, an earnest expression on his face. Then he stood and stepped back, leaving the woman and boy in front of the grave. The woman took the boy's hand and they both placed the beautifully decorated Christmas tree on the snowy ground near the headstone.

They stood still, all three of them, for a long time. And then it started to snow big heavy drops as if the heavens were crying. The boy turned toward Ranger, his arms raised high, and Ranger lifted him up and held him on his hip. The boy laid his head, cap and all, on Ranger's shoulder and the woman joined them in the most poignant embrace and farewell Stephanie had ever seen.

The three returned to the Cayenne and drove past Stephanie in her minivan. She didn't follow them. There was no longer any need to.

It took a few minutes to steel herself, but Steph left the warmth of her car and made her way past dozens of servicemen and servicewomen's graves to stand before the one blessed with the little Christmas tree.

And there, Stephanie learned the answers to the questions that had been burning a hole in her heart for days. The headstone explained it all.

She learned the name of the Navy SEAL, the friend that had given Ranger his SEAL cap just before he died. His name was Jorge Marino and he was a Lieutenant in the Navy. She learned he was a loving father and husband, and that his family would love him forever. And that he died five years ago on Christmas Eve.

Steph continued to stand in front of the grave, thinking about all she'd seen and felt the past three days. His last name suggested he was of Hispanic descent, maybe with a darker skin color like Ranger's. And the fact that he died five years ago meant his young son hadn't had the opportunity to get to know him, except through pictures and stories others could tell him. That could explain the boy seeing Ranger and calling him Daddy. And Ranger was someone who could share things with the boy about his father that no one else could. Things his mother would want her son to know about his father. That could explain her gratitude.

Steph was feeling grateful herself and she wanted to be a part of this special day. She remembered the guys at work talking about a military tradition, something about placing coins on a headstone so the family would know someone had visited their loved one. She rummaged in her coat pockets and came up with a lone penny. It seemed so small a token, but she touched the copper piece to her lips and placed the coin on top of the headstone. After saying a silent prayer, she returned to her car and started the long drive home.

Later that night, as Stephanie crawled into bed and lay down in her thinking position, she realized that while she got some of her questions answered, many more had been raised.

She still didn't know the true relationship between Ranger and the widow Marino. Maybe the woman had initially turned to Ranger as a friend of her dead husband's, but there was nothing stopping them from becoming lovers. And even if there was nothing romantic between them that still didn't mean Steph had a lock on Ranger's heart. It was too much to think about and Stephanie was exhausted after the long day. Tomorrow, she had to put in a Christmas Day appearance at the Plum household and then work the next five days. There was plenty of time to worry about her love life later.

When Stephanie woke up the next morning she smelled coffee and… something woodsy. And she could hear the faint jingle of bells.

She jumped out of bed and peered around her bedroom door. There was something twinkling in her living room. As she stepped fully into the room, she saw a large tree. A fully decorated Christmas tree, lights and all. In her living room. And it had presents under it. Lots of brightly wrapped packages.

She half expected to hear a hearty, "Ho Ho Ho," but instead she heard a soft, "Merry Christmas, Babe."

Whirling around, she came face to face with Ranger holding two mugs of hot coffee, one black, and one with cream and sugar. With a big smile on her face, Stephanie reached for the one with cream and sugar.

As Ranger released the mug to her, he made a point of looking at her from head to toe and smiling. "Merry Christmas to me, too," he leered.

It was then she realized she was only wearing a thin white cotton tank top and a pair of bright red bikini briefs. She hurried into the bedroom and slipped on her ratty old terry cloth robe. It was stained and the pockets were half-ripped, but it hid what it was supposed to hide.

She returned to the living room and to Ranger. "You did all this? For me?" she asked, awe apparent in her voice.

Steph sat down on the sofa and tucked her bare legs under her, making sure her robe covered them. She hadn't shaved all week and didn't want Ranger to see her hairy legs. She took a sip of coffee to cover the double whammy of emotions she was feeling: pleasure that Ranger had _done_ this for her and awkwardness that he had done this _for her_. At this particular moment she didn't feel worthy.

Ranger sat down next to her on the sofa. "I knew you hadn't done any Christmas decorating for yourself and I wanted today to be special for you."

"That was… that was very nice of you," she stammered, emotion tightening her throat. "The tree is perfect. The coffee's wonderful. But all those gifts? Is part of this special day handing out all these presents to the needy?" she asked.

He reached out his hand and tucked a curl behind her ear. "No, today you are the needy and all those presents are for you."

He smiled his 200-watt smile at her and Steph got goose bumps. She wrapped both hands around the hot mug, thinking she was cold, but the room was comfortably warm. Ranger's hand dropped to the back of her neck and suddenly she was warm all over.

In a low voice, he told her, "Santa was a busy boy bringing gifts to a very good girl." He leaned forward while his hand was pulling her head toward his. All it took was a light brush of his lips against hers and she melted. He took her mug out of her hands and set it on the coffee table. Then he pulled her into his arms.

"But my gifts," Steph protested, as she pointed toward the tree.

"I want one of _my_ Christmas presents first," he whispered, kissing her lightly at first, then deepening the kiss with a little more pressure. When his tongue touched her bottom lip, she moaned and surrendered completely to the giving spirit of Christmas.

About a half an hour later – there were Christmas presents still to be unwrapped, after all – they ambled back out to the living room, arm in arm. And then began the early Christmas morning ritual enjoyed by many people all across the world: the sharing and unwrapping of presents.

Before Ranger handed her the first wrapped gift, he led her into the kitchen to show off her new coffeemaker. He prefaced it with, "Since I'm going to be spending a lot of time here, I demand a good cup of coffee in the morning. Don't worry, I'll get it ready the night before and set the timer. You won't have to do a thing."

Steph mentally jumped for joy. _Did he just say he was going to be spending more time here? And that he would make them both coffee in the morning? In her brand new deluxe coffee machine?_

"That sounds wonderful," she gushed, and then more hesitantly asked, "What brought all this on?"

As he topped off her mug with hot coffee, Ranger said, "Sometimes things happen that make you think about your life, and how you're spending it. That maybe things you once thought were so important… aren't. It's all about priorities."

Cringing inside, Steph just had to ask, "Does that mean… I'm a priority?"

Ranger backed her against the refrigerator, his hands cupping her face, his hips leaning into hers. His lips brushed across hers and stopped at her left ear. "Top of the list, Babe."

All the air left her lungs and she would have crumpled to the floor if Ranger hadn't had her locked in place with his body. Her arms found their way around his neck and their bodies found their way back in to the bedroom.

An hour later, they strolled back into the living room and it was finally paper-ripping… _um_, package opening time.

The first present Stephanie opened was a brand new fluffy terry cloth robe. It was light blue, long enough to cover her hairy legs and had big wide pockets on each side for lots of tissues. Steph immediately tossed her old robe in the garbage and modeled her new one.

"It looks warm enough, but not nearly as sexy as I'd like," Ranger grumbled, handing her his second gift.

The second one was also a robe, but of a midnight blue satin and it only came down to her… um… the top of her legs.

"Much better," Ranger growled, "Model that one for me now."

Steph complied. An hour and a half later, they dragged themselves back into the living room for more gift giving. Well, there had been a giving of gifts in the bedroom, too, but that's a different story.

The next gifts, in succession, were a self-defense video made by none other than the Merry Men of RangeMan, a box of Godiva chocolates, a black cashmere sweater, the Brandy Alexander book series starting with _There's No Such Thing As A Secret_, and a small bottle of Chanel N°5's newest and freshest fragrance. And then there were no more gifts under the tree.

With a start, Steph remembered her present for Ranger. Since she hadn't done any decorating for the holidays, there were no stockings hung, but she did have one gift for him. She jumped up off the sofa and ran into the bedroom. She returned holding a package wrapped in the Sunday comics.

"It isn't as grand or as many as you gave me, but I thought you could use it, now that you don't have… um… just open it," she mumbled.

Ranger stared at her for a moment, perplexed by her cryptic words. Then he removed the wrapping, careful not to tear it. The paper dropped away, leaving him holding a black baseball cap. This one had the familiar yellow and black Army Ranger tab centered in front.

Steph piped up, "You once told me the SEAL cap was given to you by a friend as a reminder to stay alert. Well, I'm a friend and I _always_ want you to stay alert."

Ranger cleared his throat, several times, before speaking. When he did speak, his voice cracked a little. "Thank you. Thank you, Babe. It's perfect." He placed the cap on his head. And it did fit him perfectly.

"Let's seal this day with a kiss, Babe," Ranger suggested.

"Merry Christmas, Ranger," she said. And they kissed.

Two hours later, they staggered out of the bedroom and fell onto the sofa. Steph cuddled up against Ranger and he tiredly, but gladly put his arms around her, hugging her tightly. They stayed that way for quite some time. Finally, Ranger reached for his mug and realized the coffee was cold. Holding up Steph's mug, he asked, "Do you want a refill?"

She smirked and mumbled to herself that she'd had enough refills for the morning, but to Ranger she simply nodded. He went into the kitchen, a smirk of his own on his face, and refilled their coffee mugs. She looked at the wonderful Christmas loot all around her and was thrilled with everything Ranger had so thoughtfully given her, but she couldn't help but wonder who Ranger had given that humongous bottle of expensive perfume to.

When he returned with the hot coffee, he also brought one last present, which he carefully placed in Steph's hands.

Steph hefted the present and heard a slight sloshing. A quick unwrapping revealed none other than the $4200 bottle of Chanel N°5 Parfum Grand Extrait. Stephanie gasped and nearly dropped it in her excitement. She threw herself into Ranger's arms and kissed him like she'd never kissed him before. That was the one thing about Ranger. It was hard to beat him to the kissing part. But Steph surprised him this time and got his 200-watt smile in return.

In her excitement, she blurted out, "I saw you buy this." She held up the bottle of perfume.

Ranger gave her an undecipherable look. "How could you? You were tailing Cal, like I told you to. Weren't you?"

"Not exactly," she hedged, for the first time wondering if her little surprise wasn't going to go over as well as she thought.

"Remember, there's no such thing as a secret at RangeMan," he quipped.

In spite of herself, Stephanie blushed. His words reminded her that she had disobeyed her "boss's" orders. It was time to come clean.

"About tailing Cal… You thought I needed more training in how to do proper surveillance work. Well," she said, a defiant look on her face, "instead of Cal I tailed _you_ for three days and you never spotted me. I even got within a few yards of you and you didn't even see me. I don't think I need any more training."

She sat back in the sofa cushions, looked smug and cocky. She even took a noisy, slurpy sip of coffee, as if giving him the raspberry.

"I see you put me in my place," Ranger said.

He stood up, looking down at her with that barely there smile he had, and Steph knew he had something up his sleeve. Ranger was always at least one step ahead of her.

He started to walk into the kitchen, saying over his shoulder, "By the way, tell Valerie her minivan's right rear tire is a little low."

He stopped and turned. "The penny was a thoughtful gesture," he told her, tipping his new Army Ranger ball cap. "Jorge would have appreciated it."

"And Babe, bright and early Monday morning, you start tailing Cal… all week."

**Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**


End file.
